Alex Fox

Alex Fox

 

Alex Fox is a freelance science journalist based in California. He has written for the New York Times, National Geographic, Science, Nature and other outlets. You can find him at Alexfoxscience.com.

The lights of the Philadelphia skyline at night.

Philadelphia Skyscrapers Turn Lights Off to Save Migrating Birds

A new program aimed at reducing deadly collisions with buildings for migrating birds is set to begin on April 1

Indoor cannabis growing in California.

Growing an Ounce of Pot Indoors Can Emit as Much Carbon as Burning a Full Tank of Gas

In some parts of the United States, the growing cannabis industry is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions

A tiny, invasive zebra mussel found on a moss ball sold as aquarium decor in a pet store. Officials say moss balls containing the invasive species have been reported in pet stores in at least 21 states.

Officials Say Invasive Zebra Mussels Are Hiding in Aquarium Decor Sold Across U.S.

Pet stores in 21 states recall items after reports of the destructive bivalves lurking in moss balls

Satellite images comparing bull kelp canopy cover (gold shading) 2008 and 2019 off the coast of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties in Northern California.

Satellite Imagery Shows Northern California Kelp Forests Have Collapsed

Researchers say they're not sure these iconic coastal ecosystems will be able to make a comeback anytime soon

The head and the body of the sea slug Elysia marginata, a day after the animal decapitated itself.

Sea Slug's Decapitated Head Crawls Around Before Regrowing a Body

Researchers think that lopping off its own noggin could help the critter rid itself of parasites

The western monarch butterfly has declined by 99.9 percent since the 1980s, according to the latest population assessment.

Climate Change Lays Waste to Butterflies Across American West

Study documents declines across hundreds of species over recent decades, and finds years featuring warmer, drier autumns are particularly deadly

An illustration based on the satellite observation data from the first confirmed instance of a space hurricane.

First Ever Space Hurricane Spotted in Earth's Upper Atmosphere

The 600-mile-wide swirling cloud of charged particles rained down electrons from several hundred miles above the North Pole

Photos of the kitefin shark glowing in the dark.

Nearly Six-Foot-Long Glowing Shark Discovered in Deep Sea Off New Zealand

The kitefin shark is one of three species of glowing sharks described in a new paper

A male green tree frog calls out to females.

This Frog's Lungs Work Like Noise-Cancelling Headphones

When the green tree frog inflates its lungs, its eardrums become less sensitive to the calls of other frog species

A new study finds most conversations don't end when we want them to.

Most People Don't Know When to Stop Talking, According to Science

A new study finds folks are pretty bad at guessing whether to wrap up a chat or keep talking

A male superb lyrebird

This Bird Mimics an Entire Flock to Woo Females

When mating, male lyrebirds reproduce a cacophony of calls usually reserved for when predator is nearby

Juveniles from species of massive carnivorous dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus rex, may have out-competed species that would have otherwise succeeded as medium-sized adults, according to new research.

Why Medium-Sized Dinosaurs Are Often Missing From the Fossil Record

Study suggests huge carnivores like T. rex may have occupied the ecological roles of medium-sized predators as juveniles

Wisdom, a 70-year-old Laysan albatross, and one of her chicks from years past.

Oldest Known Wild Bird Hatches Chick at Age 70

Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was first banded by scientists on a remote North Pacific atoll in 1956

The Oyapock river, between Brazil and French Guiana, is one of the few waterways that a new paper identifies as being relatively undamaged by humans.

One-Third of Freshwater Fish Species Are at Risk of Extinction

Humans have severely damaged more than half of the world’s rivers

Slime mold in a petri dish. New research finds that slime molds can store memories by changing the diameter of the branching tubes they use to explore their environment, allowing them to keep track of food sources.

How the Brainless Slime Mold Stores Memories

New research finds the organism can remember the location of food by altering the diameter of the creeping tendrils it uses to explore its surroundings

New research finds that springhares, hopping rodents native to southern Africa, glow under UV light.

This Bouncing African Mammal Glows Under UV Light

Springhares are the latest in a flurry of furry creatures that scientists have discovered are biofluorescent

A woman at the Gador nature reserve in Israel holds a dead baby sea turtle covered in tar from the oil spill on Feb. 20, 2021.

Oil Spill Off Israeli Coast Covers Beaches and Wildlife in Tar

Authorities are searching for the ship responsible for the unreported spill

Elizabeth Ann, the first cloned black-footed ferret and the first cloned endangered species native to North America, pictured here at 50 days old.

Elizabeth Ann Is the First Cloned Black-Footed Ferret

The creature, the first cloned endangered species native to North America, could provide the fragile population with desperately needed genetic diversity

Only the flower on the far left is real. The rest are made of fungus.

This Fungus Makes Convincing Fake Flowers From Scratch

The yellow, flower-shaped growths lure in pollinator insects to spread the fungus’ spores

An illustration of NASA's Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars.

NASA's Perseverance Rover Lands on Mars

The technically complex landing marks the fifth successful U.S. bid to reach the Martian surface

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